OEM&Lieferant Ausgabe 2/2021

92 Current challenges Work in production halls is presently under- going a change. The reasons for that are the increasingly global competition and changed market demand. Product life cycles are be- coming shorter. That is also true for the au- tomotive sector, of course. Alternating model series require quick and flexible solutions. However, lightweight construction, the technology of today and tomorrow to save material and energy, also demands for ex- pert knowledge. Especially the automotive industry cannot do without them: modern lightweight concepts. On the contrary. Not only do they considerably improve vehicle dynamics, but they also help to reduce emis- sions. Lightweight construction continues to be essential for future cars and is also im- portant for e-mobility. Key technologies for lightweight construction Though, lightweight construction also sets high standards for multi-material concepts thus requiring innovative fastening tech- nologies. With many of its technologies, Böllhoff already addresses modern body construction with distinctive material com- bination today. They offer a great potential of productive solutions providing key tech- nologies for mechanical fastening. One of those, the self-pierce riveting technology with semi-tubular rivets, RIVSET Automa- tion EH, allows to join lightweight materials as well as high-strength steels at very short process times. The material components do not require pre-drilling or pre-punching. In one step, the semi-tubular rivet punches through the top material layers and in the bottom material layer forms an undercut and also the characteristic locking head. This process convinces by relatively high dy- namic and quasi-static strengths and high reproducibility. It is also easy to automate. For this system, the focus is on functionality, variability and design. With a long life at max- imum availability and minimummaintenance, this is the foundation for a successful pro- duction. Böllhoff permanently pursues the further development and thus always has the answer to current industry trends. In close cooperation with KUKA, Böllhoff has developed an automated and flexible turnkey solution. Harmonised, pre-config- ured systems which require only little prepa- ration and are easy to operate are the result. Both parties contributed their know-how of the automotive sector and with their specific expertise in the robot and joining technol- ogies launched a competitive product: the ready2_rivet package. “Application-oriented solutions which our customers benefit from for global compe- tition should always be developed in coop- eration with a system partner,” Burkhard Stimmel from KUKA explains. Horst Wittop from Böllhoff is also sure, “With KUKA, we were able to realise perfectly matching components.” Ready2_rivet: The ideal self-pierce riveting solution for applications in body-in-white construction Industry-specific, industry-tested and imme- diately ready to use: that is the ready2_rivet package. The robot is a KUKA Quantec-series robot, same as the robot control. This KUKA KR C4 convinces by worldwide compatibility: It functions reliably at different voltages and network configurations and also in extreme- ly cold, hot or humid surroundings. It understands 25 languages – among them also the important Asian languages – and fulfils all relevant international ISO and US standards. Böllhoff supplies the technology for self- pierce riveting RIVSET. It can be seamless- ly integrated into existing production envi- ronments. Due to the modular design, it is Products and Markets Two experts, one goal. Böllhoff and KUKA put the automation of self-pierce riveting processes in a nutshell By Annette Löwen, Head of FAT Marketing Germany, Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH Böllhoff, one of the leading international providers of fastening and assembly technologies, and KUKA, one of the leading international providers of automated production and assembly solutions, decided to embark on a new cooperation and jointly develop a project: the ready2_rivet package. Images: © Böllhoff Group Böllhoff and KUKA put the automation of self-pierce riveting processes in a nutshell.